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Question 906764:  Jessie and Mark are planning to paint a house together. Jessie thinks that if he works alone, it would take him 5 hours more than the time Mark takes a paint the entire house. Working together, they can complete the job in 6 hours.
 
*What equation represents the situation? 
*How long would it take Jessie and Mark if each work alone in painting the entire house? 
 Answer by richwmiller(17219)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website! 1/j+1/m=1/x 
j=m+5 
1/(m+5)+1/m=1/6
 
1/x+1/(x+5)=1/6 
(6*x*(x+5))/x+(6*x*(x+5))/(x+5)=(6*x*(x+5))/6 
(6*(x+5))+6*x=x*(x+5) 
6*x+30+6*x=x^2+5*x 
12*x+30=x^2+5*x 
x^2-7*x-30=0 
x^2-7*x=30 
add it 
x^2-7*x+(-7/2)=30+(-7/2) 
square it 
x^2-7*x+(49/4)=30+(49/4) 
x^2-7*x+(12.25)=30+(12.25) 
x^2-7*x+(12.25)=42.25 
(x-3.5)^2=42.25 
(x-3.5)^2=42.25 
we can continue 
x-3.5=+-6.5 
x=3.5+-6.5 
Positive useful answer: 
x=3.5+6.5 
One answer is x=10 
x+5=5+10 
x+5=15 
check 
1/x+1/(x+5)=1/6 
1/10+1/(10+5)=1/6 
1/10+1/15=1/6 
6/60+4/60=1/6 
10/60=1/6 
1/6=1/6 
ok
 
Negative useless answer: 
x=3.5-6.5 
Negative answer is x=-3.0 
For real life cases involving time, distance and other measurements, we reject the negative results
 
 
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